The Panthers have signed DT Chad Lavalais who didn’t play football in 2006.  In 30 games in his 2 year career, Lavalais has made 41 tackles and had 2 sacks.  CB Chris DeLoatch was signed to be a reserve in the defensive backfield.  He played in 7 games last season for the New Orleans Saints and he made 9 tackles.  Safety Deke Cooper was the third player signed by the Panthers.  He only played 1 game last season for the San Francisco 49ers and he only made 1 tackle.  He has played in 57 games in his career and he’s made 157 tackles, had 3 interceptions, defensed 8 passes, forced 2 fumbles and recovered 2 fumbles.  These were good depth signings for the Panthers defense and special teams.

The Panthers re-signed Mike Minter for the veterans minimum to open up some cap room.  He played in all 16 games for the Panthers last season and he made 83 tackles, had an interception, defensed 6 passes and recovered a fumble.  Minter is still a good football player and he signed a cap friendly contract to stay with the Panthers, which is good for the team.

Dave Ball played in 10 games last season for the New York Jets and he made 1 tackle and defensed 3 passes.  Don’t expect to much from Ball as he will have a tough time making the Panthers next season.

The Panthers have given Jordan Carstens a one year contract.  Carstens was injured almost all of last season as he only played in 1 game and had 2 tackles.  In his three year career, Carstens has played in 29 games for the Panthers and he has made 50 tackles, has 4 sacks, forced 2 fumbles and recovered a fumble.  This was a good signing for the Panthers as Carstens is a decent reserve tackle.

The Panthers have given Morton a two-year contract.  Last year, Morton played in 7 games for the Panthers and he made 11 tackles, had an interception and defended a pass.  He will provide good depth for the Panthers this season and could also help out on special teams.